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Saturday, 5 December 2015

We're off to Japan!

The sign says I can relax!

Today was the day! After a seemingly long and busy year, we were glad of the opportunity to relax and unwind in Japan, a place that has long been on the bucket list. We flew with Japan Airlines and the flight was pleasant. The plane was comfortable, cabin staff friendly and helpful, and food was decent. Between the five of us, we managed to watch over 20 movies. One person in particular more than the others...Our transit in Narita was pretty quick and all the children crashed in the flight from Tokyo to Osaka making for a peaceful trip.

It has become somewhat of a tradition to have breakfast at McDonalds....

Getting into the zone while waiting for our plane

The children were useful for something...They were young enough for us to board first

If you've wondered what a SKY TIME "Kiwi" original is....

...Here's what it looks like!

Drawn to the vending machines like a magnet

Our plan for a jumbo taxi didn't quite work out. It appeared that a reservation for a taxi that holds 5 needed to be made a day before. Darn those extra children! Plan B was the airport limousine bus to Namba, our closest stop. The tickets were easy to buy, the ride quick and smooth and our suitcases loaded on and off the bus for us. The best thing was that it was significantly cheaper than a taxi. An adult ticket for the bus was a mere JPY640 (about AUD7) with the children at half price.

Airport limousine bus. Everything well signed. The buses were frequent and left right on the dot!

Our struggles came after our arrival at Namba. The seemingly short distance to our apartment rental did not turn out to be so short after all after our circuitous route. The address was not so easy to follow, and many of the blocks of shops and restaurants all look very similar! We felt a little like Dory...Err that looks familiar?!...Just keep walking, just keep walking...

Walking through the bustling Namba and Dotonbori area was torture. There were food vendors and restaurants everywhere and the delicious wafting smells of the food assaulted our noses. Watching other people eat while we walk was not nice! After receiving assistance from 5 people (!) we finally arrived at our apartment rental. We were worried that being in the Dotonbori area it might be noisy. However, being a block away from the main strip was sufficient for it to be quiet. The apartment was essentially one large room with a kitchen, bathroom and toilet. The block though was quite new and everything in the apartment was very clean and in good condition. More photos on the apartment tomorrow!

We ended the evening with some takoyaki (Japanese octopus balls) to sate the hanger pangs. They were good and cheap! 20 for only JPY650 (AUD 720)!! By the time I found my phone, more than half were gone...